I don't think so unless you have a very PR friendly entry. The whole contest is decided pre-show nowadays particularly as we head back to Scandinavia, must say Austria were quite unbiased unlike Sweden and Denmark in the past 2 years.
Next year Norway or Denmark will be actively pushed by STV and could likely win.
There's a surprise now and again, but the truth is the same countries (such as Sweden, Russia, Italy) always get hype and it gets a bit boring.
We'll win when the BBC want us to win. It's that simple. The last major effort - and I mean major let's-win-the-damn-thing attempt - was in 1996 and 1997. Gina G would have won had televoting existed at the time but fell short thanks to an outdated jury voting. So we instantly tried again, sent in Katrina & The Waves with something much more traditional (and equally awesome) sounding and won by a landslide. Nothing political about it - both were probably the two best songs in their individual years.
The "it's all political!" brigade are talking bollocks, proved this year by Russia, politically probably one of the most unpopular countries in the world, coming second place because most of Europe can put politics behind them and genuinely see it as a fun song contest. Equally the fact that these much-derided Eurovision songs actually sell in high numbers - Loreen's 'Euphoria', probably the best winner this century so far, becoming a top 3 hit here and a #1 around the world. The UK's 2003 last place is often mentioned as an example of post-Iraq backlash, but our song that year was and sounded absolutely bloody terrible, apparently due to a technical problem.
If anything, the biggest setback for both the UK and Ireland was the 1999 rule change where countries could now sing in any language they wanted, denting our traditional English language advantage. Even then with the exception of Jessica Garlick (amazing singer, brilliant song) and Jade Ewen (ditto, plus Andrew Lloyd Webber putting in a genuine huge effort), all the UK entries of the 21st century have come across as lazy, particularly now it's not even done as a public vote and just some bloke in an office throwing a dart at a list of out-of-work singers and picking the one where it lands. Those who say that if we wouldn't win if we entered Robbie Williams/One Direction/Adele/Ed Sheeran etc are missing the point that it depends on the song, and that's why Sweden's been utterly storming it in recent years as their Melodifestivalen is a huge, country-wide X Factor style extravaganza, a massive competition to pick their Eurovision entrant on a scale that puts the UK to shame.
The contest is in a much better place than it was 10-15 years ago, being slicker, a (lot) shorter and updated for the current century. Sadly the UK don't quite seem to have followed.
Maybe try not to send shit like this year and you might win again lol
Pretty much. Britain has produced some of the best bands and music in the world, how come we can't produce anything decent for Eurovision? I doubt anyone thought we had a chance this year with that abortion of a song.
We will only win when we learn how to write generic, almost tuneless Euro-pap songs properly. Then we need to learn how to wear black suits and leap about the stage like insects. Crack that and we're in.
Pretty much. Britain has produced some of the best bands and music in the world, how come we can't produce anything decent for Eurovision? I doubt anyone thought we had a chance this year with that abortion of a song.
I've been banging this drum for years now. We have some of the best 3-minute songwriters in the world and there are plenty of proper pop singers who could do the songs justice, but we keep on entering rubbish!
By the way, who is it who actually chooses the UK song these days? I only take an interest on the actual day of the 'Grand Final' so I thought they had a UK song contest to pick the song, but then it started just being announced on Radio 2 (where I'd hear it anyway!) what the song and singer was going to be.
So who picks it?
That's what I'd like to know. Who picks the singer and the song?
There was a time when the viewing public chose the UK entry. What happened to that idea?
It hasn't even been that long since we last won. Not when you consider the number of countries that now enter. Take last year for example, before then Austria hadn't won for 40 something years. And even then they'd only won it that once. Some countries have never won at all. Some have never even qualified to the final. We act like we're hard done by but in honesty, almost every song last night was performed better than ours, including the two who got no points at all.
I do think we can win again if we send a really good, marketable song with a great singer. A good message to the song would probably help too. Austria won last year for the first time in 40 odd years so anything is possible.
Unfortunately I don't think it's possible any more. If Electro Velvet cannot win with the performance of the night with a song by a renowed composer and performed by 2 well respected artists at the top of their game, it's just not going to happen.
a few thoughts should the singing order in the final not be subject to a fa cup style draw so you therefore can show any producer bias which did seem to be slightly prevalent last night. also there is still some political voting yugoslavian republics still vote together and do former soviet ones and the scandanavian countries do as well of course and the sweden song did have the ultimate gimmick the animated characters in the background which europe warmed to - if the uk wants to win again we hae to find out what europe wants and find out how to overcome the political voting that does happen and be drawn fairly in the final as well and maybe perform in the semi final even if not for judgement as sure that helps. also let the public chose somehow even if it done via radio 1 or 2 or similar. Do all of this and we may have a chance but yes it took austria 40 years to win so still got as long time to wait before it becomes a big issue and comeback australia we enjoyed having you here but please give us some points next thank you.if else fails do whatever you have to do to get simon cowell involved. However Same arguments each year nothing seems to change more in 2016 no doubt.
Not with the current selection process of inward selection. When bbc take eurovisions more seriously. I don't see why they don't UK they pay lot of money towards it might as well make the effort to send great acts.
Comments
There's a surprise now and again, but the truth is the same countries (such as Sweden, Russia, Italy) always get hype and it gets a bit boring.
The "it's all political!" brigade are talking bollocks, proved this year by Russia, politically probably one of the most unpopular countries in the world, coming second place because most of Europe can put politics behind them and genuinely see it as a fun song contest. Equally the fact that these much-derided Eurovision songs actually sell in high numbers - Loreen's 'Euphoria', probably the best winner this century so far, becoming a top 3 hit here and a #1 around the world. The UK's 2003 last place is often mentioned as an example of post-Iraq backlash, but our song that year was and sounded absolutely bloody terrible, apparently due to a technical problem.
If anything, the biggest setback for both the UK and Ireland was the 1999 rule change where countries could now sing in any language they wanted, denting our traditional English language advantage. Even then with the exception of Jessica Garlick (amazing singer, brilliant song) and Jade Ewen (ditto, plus Andrew Lloyd Webber putting in a genuine huge effort), all the UK entries of the 21st century have come across as lazy, particularly now it's not even done as a public vote and just some bloke in an office throwing a dart at a list of out-of-work singers and picking the one where it lands. Those who say that if we wouldn't win if we entered Robbie Williams/One Direction/Adele/Ed Sheeran etc are missing the point that it depends on the song, and that's why Sweden's been utterly storming it in recent years as their Melodifestivalen is a huge, country-wide X Factor style extravaganza, a massive competition to pick their Eurovision entrant on a scale that puts the UK to shame.
The contest is in a much better place than it was 10-15 years ago, being slicker, a (lot) shorter and updated for the current century. Sadly the UK don't quite seem to have followed.
Pretty much. Britain has produced some of the best bands and music in the world, how come we can't produce anything decent for Eurovision? I doubt anyone thought we had a chance this year with that abortion of a song.
I've been banging this drum for years now. We have some of the best 3-minute songwriters in the world and there are plenty of proper pop singers who could do the songs justice, but we keep on entering rubbish!
That's what I'd like to know. Who picks the singer and the song?
There was a time when the viewing public chose the UK entry. What happened to that idea?
I do think we can win again if we send a really good, marketable song with a great singer. A good message to the song would probably help too. Austria won last year for the first time in 40 odd years so anything is possible.
Yes - and nearly half the countries entering have never one. We are due another win on the law of averages by 2037!
thats a never vote from me
Scooch , that's what happened.
God, yes, I remember them.:o that was a mistake lol.
I also remember Jade ? being thrown in at the last minute. She was chosen by Lloyd Webber to represent the UK. The public didn't choose her
She didn't win either.